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Human
Humans (Homo sapiens) were one of two known spacefaring intelligent species to have originated from the planet Earth. Overview ]] A founding member of the United Federation of Planets, Humans of Earth became warp-capable in 2063, which was the same year they experienced first official contact with an alien species, the Vulcans. By the 24th century, Human society had changed from what it was for most of recorded history. On Earth, hunger, war, disease, famine, and poverty had largely been eliminated. The acquisition of wealth was no longer the primary driving force in the lives of many Humans. A great deal of emphasis was placed on the importance of continued societal and self-growth. Thanks to the non-currency based New World Economy and the development of replicators, material needs were largely satisfied. Although money was no longer used by Humans within the Federation, they did use gold-pressed latinum and other forms of currency (such as Bajoran litas and credits) in places where it was still needed, such as Quark's. The idea behind not using money being that Humans work to better themselves and the rest of Humanity (see Human philosophy). ( ; ) It must be noted that all of this more specifically applies to Humans within the Sol system, as many Earth colonies are known to have developed vast cultural differences from other Humans and some have even fallen into chaos, most notably Turkana IV. Biology Bilaterally symmetrical bipedal primates, Humans were a warm-blooded humanoid species with an average lifespan of around 120 years, although some individuals achieved a much older age. They had evolved from the australopithecines. At least three sentient species of human existed on Earth: Homo sapiens, Homo floresiensis and Homo neanderthalensis (the Neanderthals). These species coexisted for some time until first the Neanderthals became extinct followed by Homo floresiensis, leaving only one species of human in the present. Humanity's closest living relative was the chimpanzee. The Human species was one of the more distinct sentient groups present in the Milky Way Galaxy as, while they did not possess any dominant or noticeable bony ridges around their face or on their bodies as was common to many races throughout space, they did possess a great deal of phenotypic diversity within their species. Skin color, eye color, blood type, facial structures, hair color and hair type varied considerably between individuals and made nearly every single Human distinct in appearance from the next. An exception to this was in the case of identical twins, an anomaly that occurs in approximately three in every 1,000 Human births. They had two sexes, as was common to many humanoid species. The female of the species was fertile once a month after she reached puberty (between the age of twelve and sixteen) until the onset of a biochemical stage known as menopause (between the age of 45 and 55). Human gestation lasted nine months. The make-up of Human DNA structure was significant, as, with some modifications, it allowed them to cross breed successfully with a wide range of other races across the galaxy, including Vulcans, Klingons, and Betazoids. Humans were not as physically strong as some species such as Klingon and Vulcans, but they were resilient. They were more adaptable to incarceration than Klingons ( ). They could survive with one lung or kidney (they have two of each normally), and they could go days without water and weeks without food due to their bodies' ability to conserve water and live off stored fat respectively. Their bodies' efficient temperature regulation allowed them to resist and survive cold temperatures that would adversely affect other species such as Cardassians and Klingons, or high temperatures that would be uncomfortable for an Andorian. They also possessed more acute hearing than Cardassians. Humans had iron-based hemoglobin in their blood. Each individual's blood had one of eight types depending on the presence or absence of three antigens called A, B, and Rh. Culture Humans were easily the most outworldly, idealistic and expansionistic race in the United Federation of Planets. Humans had no true specialty or extraordinary qualities and were average in both a technological and physical sense. Instead they were more idealistic, outgoing and cooperative than other races. The Devore inspector Kashyk remarked that Human culture had many contradictions, violence and beauty, science and faith, all somehow mingled harmoniously. Similar to the counterpoint of a musical composition. Because Humans were the Federation species most interested in space exploration, they made up a large majority of Starfleet. The fact that Starfleet was originally a pre-Federation Earth organization also contributed to the Human dominance of Starfleet. Humans also made up the majority of colonists on Federation colonies. Human adaptability and their strong tradition of innovation and cooperation brought them to the forefront of the current Federation interstellar situation. It was for this very reason, however, that Human society was constantly changing and evolving. This was seen not only on the isolated colonies, where the past traditions brought by culturally and geographically homogeneous blocks of colonists compete with new cultural pragmatism demanded of frontier life, but also in the staid and settled core worlds as well. Fashion, speech and especially political views were constantly changing. For species that were steeped in tradition and genealogical reverence as the basis of their societies, the Human fascination with the novel experience and their unending desire to innovate and explore, to discover for the sake of discovery, were all difficult concepts to grasp. Jazz music persisted into the 24th century and became a contribution to galactic culture, as did opera music. Humans played music collaboratively in a format known as "classical music." Competitive sports from human cultures also became part of Federation culture in various ways. Sports played in the 24th century included soccer (also known as football), fencing, and wrestling. Other human sports included water polo, baseball and hockey. Humans expressed themselves through various art forms. One such art form was known as dancing. Human cuisine had a broad spectrum, and was shared widely with other cultures. Humans were omnivorous, unlike vegetarian Vulcan culture. A small sampling of human dishes enjoyed by other species included pecan pie and chocolate. Human foods were often connected to a place, a language, or a family and were a part of a richer cultural experience, such as jambalaya and oden. Human mating rituals sometimes involved a cultural ceremony known as a wedding to indicate a lasting commitment, as in other cultures such as Vulcan and Klingon. Human culture evolved to eliminate war, poverty and disease by the year 2113. Background So far, humans are the only species to have made an appearance in every episode of all six Star Trek series and all ten films. In addition, the plurality of the lead characters of every Star Trek series so far have been human. External link * Category:Species